Been a lurker here for quite a few years and decided to join in at long last - I've had a long relationship to all things Tiki/Polynesian living in the South Pacific as we do here in Australia ... and had my first taste of inspiration when living in New Zealand during my early childhood. I'll save my story about a run in with ancient Maori spirits for another time however.

Here is a more traditional study of a tribal mask from Papua that's been in my family as long as I can recall. I am also starting to carve Tiki in wood and have made Moai from clay in the past also.

I was thinking along the lines of Leeteg, Gaugin and the early European artists who were taken in by Primitive art and putting my own soft spin on it. I am literally dwarfed by the great art I have seen in this forum and can only hope to live up to the high standard in future works ... I have been inspired to start a new project as a result.

Welcome,Rocker . . . I really like your painting! I've see many still life paintings but never really like them and never seen them beside to objects they represent. It the painting always better that the objects being represented?

On 2007-09-27 14:36, timidtiki wrote:Welcome,Rocker . . . I really like your painting! I've see many still life paintings but never really like them and never seen them beside to objects they represent.

Hi Timid T,

Like yourself I have not been a fan generally of the still life in painting or art generally but I set myself the task to try to bring something interesting to that format in a Tiki/Primitive art form --- as I said before I was thinking of Leeteg et al and going for something a bit smoky and soft.

Quote:

It the painting always better that the objects being represented?

Are you saying the paintings in still life are always better than the subject matter? If so I quite agree for the most part but when you see a really nice still life with fantastic subject matter and use of light and shade it can be really effective also.

I dig it! It only takes one object that is out of the ordinary to inject a little intrigue or symbolism into an otherwise rigid still life. What way around does it go? I notice the bottle is on either side, so you must have reversed one of your pics?
Aside from the artists you mentioned, another to check out (perhaps less known in our part of the world) is August Holland, whose Tiki work has elements of still life in it.

On 2007-09-27 16:33, Paipo wrote:I dig it! It only takes one object that is out of the ordinary to inject a little intrigue or symbolism into an otherwise rigid still life. What way around does it go? I notice the bottle is on either side, so you must have reversed one of your pics?
Aside from the artists you mentioned, another to check out (perhaps less known in our part of the world) is August Holland, whose Tiki work has elements of still life in it.

Thanks mate!

I totally agree with your assessment of one object throwing a curve ... I like offbeat subjects within known forms since it tends to exemplify the way I feel about Tiki and Kustom Kulture generally. You are also correct about the flipped image ... the bottom image is the correct direction. Somehow I accidentally flipped the top pic before I saved it ... or was that some Papuan shaman trick!?

I have not come across August Holland but I will definitiely check him out now ... by the way where in Kiwi land are you ... North or South island?

On 2007-09-27 17:37, Tabu wrote:That's a really nice painting. The lighting really gives you a sense of the time of day. It has cool vintage/beatnick loose feel to it as well. I'd love to see more.

Hey Tabu!

Thanks for the support ... you really nailed what I was going for when you said vintage, loose, Beatnik feel; totally where my head was at when I conceived it. I had been looking at some old Leeteg stuff and I was thinking of the soft smoky works of the early 20th century painters ... a bit of the 30's Art Deco vibe in there for me also though it is more vibe than anything you can physically see. I had half a mind it might have hung on Raymond Chandlers living room wall.

As for seeing more ... I hope to be able to do just that - I'm working on some new sketches as we speak.